The Gemstone Detective

Hand Made Jewelry all begins at the jeweler's bench. Actually, it really starts way before. It begins with inspiration! For each artist, the source is different and quite variable, but for Ellen Lyons there are three major sources: travel, nature and the beach.

In Plovdiv, Bulgaria there is an Ottoman Era Mosque wall with a tantalizing texture provided by century old bricks and mortar laid out in a pattern that is eye-catching. A single rose stands in front accenting the brownish red bricks. Mother Nature leaving her mark with one of her beautiful and aromatic flowers.

In Rome, a section of the old Roman road trampled by thousands of horses hooves and chariot wheels also has a beautiful pattern of stones of various hues and saturation levels of color. Rubbed smooth by the centuries, one can almost feel the pounding of hooves and the rolling of the wheels. Patterns that can be translated into metal with a variety of hammers.

Zoom in on a beach somewhere in Mexico where there are shells and the remains of fish bones that provide contrasting color and textures that are translated into reticulated silver and watery and sky colored gemstones such as iolite and sapphires. Green and turquoise colored apatite with yellow topaz and rhodolite garnets representing the iridescent shell nacre. These are just some of the precious stones that Ellen Lyons Jewelry Designs is inspired by and works with on a daily basis.

Travel is a vehicle for inspiration for an artist.  Inspiring and overwhelming at times with all the visual stimulation.  Patterns abound.   Even the mirrored images of buildings seen reflected in the the Arno River in Florence or the floor tiles in a gallery located in an ancient palazzo in Venice can provide ideas for earrings, pendants and rings.  There are also beautiful displays of gelato and sorbetto! This is why Ellen Lyons carries a sketchbook at all times.  From Venice, to Florence, through both the Tuscan and Umbrian hills and all the way to Rome.  Always.   A sketchbook,...

Please visit http://susansaidwhat.com/2017/09/21/ellen-lyons-jewelry/ to see some of my wonderful new work for Fall 2017.   

Fall is that time when I look to the trees, the sky, Puget Sound and the mountains for color inspiration.   Deep reds, gold and sunflower yellow, oranges, lavender, greens, plums and blues.   Translated into garnets, rubies, Padparascha sapphires, emeralds, tanzanites, fossilized coral, sponge coral, sunstone, tourmalines and apatites.    Walking, hiking and just being in nature provides the inspiration while gazing upon this glorious color palette.   Red is a popular color this year and rubies, garnets and red colored beads are being featured in the sterling silver and reticulated silver pieces currently coming out of the studio.    

Many new pieces are being readied for sale. To see them, please visit my Facebook page, SingedFingersJewelry or Instagram.   @Ellen Lyons Jewelry

Come check us all out. Chandelier Earrings,  Donut Holes, Gold Saturno and many more.   Something new is always on the jeweler's bench!